Corruption: ICPC demands suspension of NBC boss, Modibbo Kawu; 32 others

The ICPC has urged the federal government to suspend the
Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC),
Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, and 32 other public officers/civil servants
currently undergoing corruption trial, Premium
Times Reports.^[1]

The Commission, which is prosecuting the officials, said they
should be suspended from office pending the conclusion of the
cases.

The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission also asked the
government to, in line with the Public Service Rules, mete out
appropriate punishment(s) to other civil servants already convicted
for various offences.

The requests are contained in a letter to the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, obtained by
PREMIUM TIMES.

The ICPC said the 33 officials who should be suspended are
standing trial for offences such as bribery, certificate forgery,
making false statements, conspiracy to steal and outright
misappropriation of public funds.

The offences fall under “Serious Acts of Misconduct” in the
Public Service Rules.

Section 4 Rule 030402 of the document defines serious acts of
misconduct as “specific act of very wrongdoing and improper
behaviour which is inimical to the image of the service and which
can be investigated and if proven, may lead to dismissal.”

The Federal Ministry of Health tops the list with five of its
officials recommended for suspension.

The anti-graft agency also requested the suspension of three
officials of the then Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing
and another three from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence
Corps (NSCDC).

The Nigeria Prisons Service, Ministry of Niger Delta, the Office
of the Accountant General of the Federation, Federal Capital
Territory Administration (FCTA), Federal Ministry of Science and
Technology and Ministry of Foreign Affairs have two officials each
on the list.

Apart from the NBC, the Commission recommended the suspension of
one official each from the NSITF, Federal Ministry of Interior,
Federal Ministry of Environment, Federal Housing Authority, Federal
Civil Service Commission, Nigeria Army and the Bayelsa Liaison
Office in Abuja.

Case against NBC Director-General

The anti-graft agency said it is prosecuting Mr Kawu for “using
(his) position to confer corruption advantage.”

PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the Commission on May
2 arraigned Mr Kawu and two others, Dipo Onifade and Lucky Omoluwa,
over alleged N2.5 billion fraud.

The trio, who are being prosecuted on 12-count charges,
allegedly conspired with each others to use the position of Mr Kawu
to confer corrupt advantage on Mr Omoluwa, his friend and
associate.

The accused allegedly recommended to the Minister of Information
and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to approve payment of N2.5 billion to
Pinnacle Communications Ltd owned by Mr Omoluwa as “Seed Grant”
under the Digital Switch-Over Programme of the federal
government.

Referring to Mr Kawu, the charge sheet said he made the
recommendation to the minister “when you knew that the same company
was not entitled to receive such grant and you thereby committed an
offence contrary to Section 26 (1c) and punishable under Section 19
of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”

However, the court granted Mr Kawu and his co-defendants bail
the same day after they pleaded not guilty to all the charges
through their counsel.

Mr Kawu declined comment when PREMIUM TIMES reached him on phone
on Saturday.

The NBC boss merely said “I can hear you”’ and then cut the line
when this reporter asked if he was aware of the recommendation for
his suspension.

Other Cases

The ICPC said two officials of the NPS – Musa Yayangida and
Ahmed Abdu – are facing trial in court for allegedly demanding and
receiving “bribe for employment.”

Abutu Godwin, Iyang Ekong Gibson and Adeyemo Sunday Samson of
the NSCDC, the anti-graft agency stated, are being charged for
allegedly demanding and receiving bribe for employment, certificate
forgery and criminal breach of trust, respectively.

Akpama Oden Alison and Victor Igboanugo, an engineer, are two
officials of the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta in court.

While Mr Alison is accused of certificate forgery, Mr Igboanugo
who currently works at the Federal Ministry of Education, is being
charged for alleged “gratification and conferring corrupt
advantage.”

Ukwunna Anthony of NSITF and Celine Odiozopara of the Federal
Civil Service Commission (FCSC) are also standing trial for
allegedly demanding and receiving bribes for employment, according
to ICPC.

On their part, Alhassan Ndagi Mohammed and Johnson Kolawole,
both staff of the Office of the Accountant General of the
Federation, are being prosecuted for alleged forgery/stealing and
conferring corrupt advantage, respectively. Mr Kolawole’s case has
been on since 2008 at an Abuja High Court.

Three officials of the then Federal Ministry of Power, Works and
Housing are also being prosecuted by the Commission.

They are Mohammed Musa Abimiku and Alexander Micah Paman both of
who are standing trial for alleged “misappropriation of 5 million
Naira, making false statements and conferring corrupt advantage”
since 2014 and Anthony Udoma for “fraudulent acquisition of
property,” since 2012.

ICPC said Aliyu Ibrahim, Williams Oluwole and Ibrahim Adamu, all
of the Federal Ministry of Health were charged to the High Court
for alleged conspiracy and stealing while Yelwa Musa Shehu and
Martins Ogwu of the same ministry were charged with “making false
statements.”

Lawal Babatunde and Adelegan Taofeek of the Federal Ministry of
Science and Technology and their counterparts in the Foreign
Affairs Ministry, Kaka Dauda and Sunday Nweke, are in court for
alleged “conspiracy and making false statements.”

Two officials of the FCTA, Godfrey Ndubuisi Opara and Suleiman
Aminu Bello, ICPC said, are standing trial for allegedly “using
office to confer corruption advantage.”

The Commission did not list the offence committed by Abel Friday
Monday, an official of the Federal Ministry of Interior, it,
however, said Martha Alexander of the Federal Ministry of
Environment is standing trial for alleged stealing since 2015.

It further stated that Mahmoud Aliyu of the Federal Housing
Authority is being prosecuted for alleged conversion and
stealing.

ICPC also recommended the suspension of Sam Newline Youdugha, a
major in the Nigerian Army, as well as Harold Ipregha Tautogu, a
staff of the Bayelsa State Liaison Office in Abuja. Mr Youdugha,
the commission, said is being prosecuted for alleged forgery and
cheating while Mr Tautogu was arraigned for “making false
statements and forgery.”

It is not clear whether the officials also underwent in-house
investigations or faced other disciplinary measures as required
by Rules 030411 of the Public Service Rules.

Convicted
In the same letter to the SGF, the anti-graft outfit also informed
the federal government of the conviction of other public/civil
servants and that relevant provision of the Public Service Rules be
invoked against them.

Top on the list is Sa’ad Alanamu, a member of the Board of
National Population Commission (NPC) who was convicted alongside
two others by a Kwara State High Court, Ilorin for “using office to
confer corrupt advantage on self and receiving gratification of N5
million from a contractor contrary to Sections 8, 10 & 19 of
the ICPC Act.”

Mr Alanamu, a former Chairman of the Governing Council of Kwara
Polytechnic, was nominated into the Board of ICPC in 2017 but was
later dropped on an allegation of corruption which the Commission
was investigating.

The accused were convicted and sentenced on May 30, 2019 to five
years imprisonment and seven years imprisonment on different counts
and will also pay a fine of N25 million.

Also on the list are Patrick Pillah and Lugard Edegbe, both of
the Federal Capital Territory Administration, the Commission
said.

While Mr Edegbe was the Director of Lands at AMAC, Mr Pillah is
currently a deputy director with the Office of the Head of Civil
Service of the Federation.

The ICPC said they were convicted on December 10, 2018 by the
Federal High Court Abuja presided over by Justice Senchi for
“conspiring to confer corrupt advantage on themselves by diverting
allocated plots of land to their private company.”

The duo was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment.

A former member of the House of Representatives, Ndanusa Sandas,
and a staff of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources were found
guilty of “making false statements, impersonation and conspiracy”
and sentenced to six months imprisonment.

It further said Charles Adedeji of the Department of Protocols
and Passages of the University of Ibadan was sentenced to six
months imprisonment without an option of fine on January 16, 2018
for conferring corrupt advantage on himself.

Similarly, an FCT High Court in Bwari convicted Dandaura Joshua
of the NSCDC for “conferring corrupt advantage and cheating.” The
anti-graft agency however said Mr Joshua is at large though his
sentencing was reserved on April 10 this year.

The ICPC said a staff of the Department of Records, Maitama
District Hospital, Abuja, Victoria Oko Inaku, was found guilty of
“forgery and possession of forged documents” and sentenced to six
months imprisonment.

Although, the Commission did not recommend specific disciplinary
measures against the convicted officials, they might be dismissed
going by the provisions of the Public Service Rules.

Willy Bassey, the Director of Information in the Office of the
SGF, denied knowledge of the request by the ICPC.

“I’m not aware,” Mr Bassey told PREMIUM TIMES on phone on
Saturday.

When contacted, ICPC spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, denied
knowledge of the particular letter and list of names which this
newspaper referred to.

She, however, said as a routine, the Commission sends names
public and civil servants being prosecuted asking for their
suspension in line with Public Service Rules.

“But our experience is that they (accused) are still carrying
out their day to day schedule of duty. People may not know that
once you have a criminal case and you are in court you shouldn’t be
working,” she said.

“So, what we try to do by sending such list (I’m not talking
about this particular one) is to call government’s attention that a
person is standing trial for a criminal offence in court and the
person shouldn’t be working until his case is over.”

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